by Charlotte | Jan 18, 2018 | Rosehill Wine Cellars News, Wine Cellar Design, wine racking
All true wine lovers dream of having their own wine cellar; it’s only natural. Although wine cellars don’t come cheap, it could make sense to invest in one for your home.
Adding Custom Wine Cellar Can Add Value
There always seems to be a way to do those things that mean the most, and sometimes you never know until you take steps in the right direction. Focusing on perceived hurdles such as the cost of a quality wine cellar cooling unit from a top manufacturer like Wine Guardian or WhisperKOOL could keep you from realizing your dream. Start, instead, by checking out the following five good reasons to invest in a wine cellar.
A custom wine cellar is an excellent investment. (Photo: Rosehill Wine Cellars)
1. Protect your Wine Collection
A properly built wine cellar provides the perfect environment for wine to age and reach its peak. The components of a wine cellar include the following and more:
- Insulation from ceiling to floor
- A wine cellar cooling unit that provides the correct temperature with minimal fluctuation
- Wine racks
- Lighting with no UV rays
- Protection from vibration, to keep wine bottles still and stable
2. Organize your Wine Collection
When a wine collection begins to grow, it can be difficult to keep track of and find a particular bottle you may be looking for. Lack of organization often means forgetting about wine you’ve purchased. It’s not unusual for wine bottles in a state of disarray to be neglected past their time of peak enjoyment.
Wine racks, display shelves, and areas for bin storage are among the choices you have, as far as how to store, organize, and display your wine in a wine cellar. With a shelving system, you can more easily manage your wine and make sure you pop corks before the best drinking date has passed.
3. Enhance the Enjoyment of Wine and Food
When you get down to it, the true purpose of a wine cellar is to make it possible to safely store bottles of wine and then open and drink them at exactly the right time. Wine goes through a chemical process that can take years or decades. Oenologists and sommeliers have gone before us to make determinations about just how long particular vintages should be stored before being poured into a decanter and served with a complementary meal. It’s tough, however, to quickly grab that perfect bottle of wine when it’s needed if you’ve been unable to store it an organized way in a wine cellar.
4. Increase Home Value with Wine Cellar
The resale value of your home can be increased significantly if you have a custom wine cellar. Many realtors have learned by experience that wine cellars can be of more value than kitchen upgrades during resale. One of the challenges when selling a home is standing out in a way that snags buyers, and a wine cellar is one of the features that attracts the right kind of attention.
5. Wine Cellar Showpiece
It is highly fashionable, not to mention fun, to bring friends for a tour of your wine cellar. With a tasting nook and great lighting, it can be a truly memorable experience. Show off your wonderful wine collection and beautiful wooden wine racks with confidence. Wine cellars have secure entrances that can keep out teens, on-site workmen, and drunk friends.
Custom Wine Cellar Construction
Get started with the process of possibly having the wine cellar you really want for your wine collection. Contact the dedicated wine cellar construction experts at Rosehill Wine Cellars. They specialize in wine cellars; in fact, that’s the only type of construction they do anymore. Rosehill offers a selection of the best wine cellar cooling units, including WhisperKOOL and Wine Guardian. Due to their experience and knowledge, there’s no one better to help you determine whether a wine cellar is the right investment for you.
by Charlotte | Dec 29, 2017 | Rosehill Wine Cellars News
CellarCOOL wine cooling system.
If you have a wine cellar cooling unit in your wine cellar that’s made by a leading manufacturer such as Wine Guardian, CellarCOOL, or Koolspace, you can be confident that your wine is in a safe environment. Every cooling unit has a lifespan, however. There comes a time when you need to replace your custom wine cellar cooling system. The last thing any wine lover wants is for their cooling system to go out without their knowledge, causing wine to potentially get too warm, which can spoil it quickly. It’s very helpful to know signs to watch out for so that you know your wine cellar refrigeration system may need to be replaced.
Making Strange Noises
Wine refrigeration systems are usually very quiet. If you ever hear noises, it could be an indication that the unit needs to be repaired or replaced. The following provides an idea of various sounds a cooling unit makes plus what may be causing it:
- Squealing is an indication that the fan belt may need to be replaced.
- Rattling could mean that a panel is loose or perhaps that the motor or fan blade is rubbing against another component of the cooling system.
- A hissing noise usually means you have an air or refrigerant leak. This usually occurs near the reversing valve or the compressor.
- A gurgling sound could be a sign that there is excess air in the lines.
Temperature or Humidity Inconsistencies
Important aspects of wine storage include maintaining a constant temperature of 55° to 58° F and a certain, consistent humidity level. Sometimes a faulty thermostat is the problem and all that’s needed is to replace batteries or the thermostat itself. If humidity has become a problem, however, it could be the refrigerant levels in your cooling system are low. Contact a professional technician to determine the refrigerant levels and add more, if it’s needed.
Leaking
It’s normal for wine cellar refrigeration units to need repair for water leaks. Condensation is produced on evaporator coils on normal days, and it drips into a condensate pan that drains the water. If the drain becomes clogged, the pan will overflow and leak onto the floor. Refrigerant can also leak, but that’s far less common.
If you have your wine cellar built by the dedicated experts at Rosehill Wine Cellars, your cooling unit will be professionally installed and can also be maintained by experts. Always call professionals for wine cellar cooling unit repair as soon as you suspect a problem. Remember that wine cooling units by even the best manufacturers, such as Wine Guardian, CellarCOOL, and Koolspace, have a lifespan and eventually need to be replaced. It’s unnecessary for your wine to get spoiled in the switch from one wine cooling system installation to another.
by Charlotte | Dec 27, 2017 | Rosehill Wine Cellars News
Store wine in a custom wine cellar by Rosehill Wine Cellars
What would it be like to live like Royalty in 2018? When it comes to drinking wine, we can do as the British Royals do, since some of their choices have been publicized through the years. It’s always good to adopt new habits at the dawn of a fresh beginning. Why not make a habit of drinking like royals in the New Year? As all oenophiles know, life is better with wine. And the wine itself is better when it has been stored in the perfect environment provided by a custom wine cellar with a wine cooling unit by Breezaire, Wine Guardian, Cellar Pro, or another top wine refrigeration manufacturer.
The Queen’s Wine Habits
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom reportedly has daily habits which include drinking wine several times of the day. She famously enjoys Dubonnet, a fortified wine, with gin just before lunch daily. She garnishes the cocktail with a lemon slice. Dubonnet is a sweet fortified wine produced in France. The alcohol content is 15%. The Queen is onto something because serving Dubonnet with gin is the oft-preferred method. Her Majesty also reportedly drinks wine with lunch and one or two glasses of champagne each evening; the vintages haven’t been named, which may mean that she drinks a variety of wine and bubbly at dinnertime.
Drinking like the Queen of England won’t fit every lifestyle, considering that by UK government standards, she qualifies as a binge drinker. Being sober is a requirement for anyone with a job they’d like to keep.
The recipe for gin and Dubonnet is 1 part gin and 2 parts Dubonnet with the optional lemon or orange garnish. Stir and pour over a generous portion of ice in your cocktail glass.
How a Future Princess Celebrates Her Wedding
The night before Kate Middleton became the Duchess of Cambridge, she enjoyed a meal at the Goring Hotel in the Belgravia district of London. The wine she chose to drink with her salmon and steak Chateaubriand was Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc 2009, which was available at that time for about $50 per bottle. Quite unpretentious for a future royal.
Drink like the Royals!
Probably the best way to drink like the royals is to keep a supply of your favorite wines and champagnes in your custom wine cellar. With the temperature and humidity kept within the perfect range for wine storage by a top wine cooling unit from a manufacturer such as Breezaire, Wine Guardian, or Cellar Pro, every bottle of wine should be jolly good.
by Charlotte | Sep 29, 2017 | Customer Stories, Rosehill Wine Cellars News, wine pairing
I have a couple of friends who told me they “don’t like wine” but claim to be “foodies.” I don’t believe in double negatives, so I conducted an experiment. I invited them over with the only stipulation being they leave the bottle of vodka at home. I have a hard time believing anyone doesn’t like wine. It’s the drink of the gods, liquid currency, ART! To be honest, if they didn’t leave my house with a new appreciation, it would be the last dinner we would ever share due to the fact that we obviously have nothing in common.
I decided to go all out for them by creating a stunning menu, intentionally revealing perfect balance. It must be said that the entire evening started out with giving my friends a leisurely tour of my custom wine cellar. There was no hum to be heard from my trusty wine cooling unit from Wine Guardian, since it’s so quiet; but the atmosphere had the obviously perfectly temperature for wine storage. The custom wine racking evoked oohs and aahs. With all duly impressed, we next went to my meticulously set dining table and got comfortably seated. The lighting was just right, to enhance the wining and dining experience.
A custom wine cellar is the perfect place to store your wine collection.
As an appetizer, I served antipasti with Sauvignon Blanc. I started them with a “sweeter” wine to ease them into their experience. Dinner was salmon over a lentil beet salad paired with a rich Pinot Noir. We were literally scraping our plates and fighting over the last drops of pinot! Dessert was where I had to show off, of course. Lemon poached pears with Muscat de Beaumes de Venise from Domaine de Durban, because I AM a true connoisseur.
Now I am happy to report that those same friends are bigger wine snobs than me! They actually began to pair their wines ahead of time when they do their weekly meal prep, simplifying their work week while still enjoying the pleasures of wine and food marriages. My friends have also invested in wine cabinets, to keep their wine supply properly stored. My hope for them is to someday have a custom wine cellar of their own.
Everyone knows that wine goes great with blind dates, but they don’t realize that it can actually make food taste better. Magic happens when the tannins in the wine become attracted to the proteins in the meat, bypassing the proteins in your saliva, causing the wine to become a softer experience in your mouth. Flavors you would have never achieved take over when you simply sip smarter. Sometimes, you might have to fake it til you make it, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be great every time! Technology makes it too easy to get suggestions for what wines will complement your signature dishes. You do not need to be a sommelier or even a wine connoisseur to appreciate the miracles of combination.
by Charlotte | Sep 25, 2017 | Rosehill Wine Cellars News, Wine Accessories & Gadgets
Properly serving wine is important to any wine connoisseur. No educational degrees are required to earn this title, but a certain level of wine knowledge is necessary. An essential area of expertise that a wine connoisseur should possess is using the best glass for the type of wine being served. You can be confident that whatever wine bottle you pull from your custom wine cellar or wine cabinet, it has been properly stored if it is equipped with a reliable wine cooling unit that provides the right humidity levels, as well. Among the top manufacturers of wine cooling units are Wine Guardian, Koolspace, Breezaire, WhisperKOOL, and CellarCOOL.
Stemware
Beautiful wine glasses are about more than aesthetics and variety. Certain types of wine can be better enjoyed when served in one type of glass as opposed to another. What stemware is made with is equally important.
In previous times, high quality stemware was made with lead glass because of a higher refraction index and because it’s heavier than everyday glassware. Because of concerns about ingesting lead, lead-free crystal is now the preferred type of wine glass.
In theory, all that’s needed for serving wine within acceptable margins of correctness is to stock your home with one set of wine glasses for red wine, one set for white wine, and a set of Champagne flutes for sparkling wines.
Serving Red Wine
The type of glass you serve wine in does make a difference in the flavor. It should be noted that most wine glasses are designed to be used with a half glass of wine, so that there is room in which to collect aromas.
Red wines are served in wine glasses with larger bowls, for the following reasons:
- The burn of ethanol is further from the nose.
- The larger bowl makes it possible to discern more aroma compounds.
- Ethanol evaporates more effectively on a larger surface area.
- The wider opening results in a smoother taste of the wine.
Red wines contain tannins, which is a bitter or spicy taste that needs to be mitigated. The higher tannin wines are better enjoyed in a taller glass, half filled.
To Be Continued
Be sure to check back for tips on glasses for white wine and sparkling wine as well as proper serving temperatures. If you are an aspiring wine connoisseur and need proper wine storage for your home, contact us at Rosehill Wine Cellars. We specialize in building custom wine cellars, and we recommend using wine cooling units by some of the top manufacturers, such as Wine Guardian, Koolspace, Breezaire, WhisperKOOL, and CellarCOOL.
